Michigan receives new funding to fight prediabetes epidemic

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

LANSING -- The Michigan Diabetes Prevention and Control Program within the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has been selected as one of eight state programs to receive a grant of $134,380 to fight prediabetes and the spread of adult onset diabetes known as type-2 diabetes. The Michigan Diabetes Prevention and Control Program was selected by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) through funding provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Governor Snyder has called attention to the health of Michigan residents by asking the Michigan Department of Community Health to address obesity," said James K. Haveman, Director of the MDCH. "One of the ways we have done so is by paying close attention to the chronic diseases associated with obesity. Prediabetes can be devastating, and this opportunity further allows Michigan to address this obesity epidemic and improve the lives of Michigan residents."

The Michigan diabetes program was selected because along with its community partners, the program is able to help people with prediabetes participate in lifestyle change programs such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP). The National DPP helps participants make healthy lifestyle changes, losing 5-7 percent body weight and being physically active at least 150 minutes a week, which have been shown to reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent.

CDC estimates 79 million people in America have prediabetes, a condition of elevated blood sugar that often leads to type-2 diabetes within a few years. In Michigan, its estimated more than 2.6 million adults have prediabetes. The CDC also projects national efforts to prevent type-2 diabetes could save $5.7 billion in health care costs and prevent 885,000 cases of type 2 diabetes in the next 25 years.

"Prediabetes has become an absolute epidemic in America," said John Robitscher, CEO of the NACDD. "We appreciate the opportunity that CDC has provided us to identify well-positioned states that can make a difference in slowing the incidence of this alarming trend."

NACDD will provide technical assistance along with help from the National Business Coalition on Health and the Directors of Health Promotion Education. Other states that received the grant funding were: Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Washington and West Virginia. Each state will have until December 31, 2013 to complete its project work.